How to enjoy a party
by Fayth3
Summary: Post Doomsday Happy!Who fic that's right, folks, no angst or reunion in sight! Rose knows how to enjoy a party.


Jackie Tyler swept down the steps regally and scanned the crowded dance floor. There was no sight of her quarry and she huffed, feeling the tightening in her dress as she breathed out.

She did spot her husband, though, and hurried over to him as fast as her new designer stilettos would allow her.

Pete Tyler was deep in conversation with a familiar brunette and Jackie felt her lips curve into a smile as she interrupted.

"'ello, Prime Minister."

"I've told you, Mrs Tyler, call me Harriet," Harriet Jones asked with a big grin.

"Then it's just Jackie," she replied raising her glass in thanks. "Lovely party, thanks for inviting us."

"Yeah," Pete interjected. "Jackie was just saying the other day how we don't get to see much of you out and about. All work and no play and all that."

"Don't have much time for it, I'm afraid," Harriet said ruefully. "What with trying to expand Torchwood and not allow the rest of the world to get away with hoarding alien technology—" she closed her eyes in embarrassment "—sorry, can't quite keep work in it's place."

"I know what you mean!" Pete laughed and Jackie joined it before remembering her original purpose.

"Sorry to interrupt and all but have you seen him and herself?"

"Uh, no," Pete looked a bit uneasy. "But you know the two of 'em, virtually inseparable. Find one, find another."

"Yes," Harriet smiled. "The times I've come to visit Torchwood and found Rose and Jack bent over some book together. It's lovely."

"Yeah, well, I need to find her."

"One moment," Harriet raised a hand and a tall man clad in dark clothes holding a silver tray materialised at her side.

"Hello, Brandon … it is Brandon, isn't it?"

"Yes, Prime Minister."

"Have you seen Rose Tyler anywhere about?"

"I believe she was headed to the second drawing room."

"There you are," Harriet's smile was wide. "Thank you, Brandon. Its wonderful having eyes and ears everywhere … on different people I mean. All those eyes and ears on one person would make them look decidedly odd."

"Almost alien," Pete ventured and they all tittered.

"Right, I'll go find herself, excuse me," Jackie said and wandered off.

It still took some getting used to, this world. In her world she had been nothing. Some estate mum with very little to look forward to in life but bingo and Jane Norman sales.

Here she was married to one of the richest men in Britain and going to parties with the bleeding Prime Minister.

Boggled the mind, it did.

She nodded her head left and right greeting and smiling at people she knew and who she knew would never have even looked at her a few years ago, let alone wanted to talk to her.

She pushed open the huge mahogany doors and stepped out into the hallway, the noise level dropping dramatically.

Her heels clacked as she made her way down the hall, the chill of the excellent air-conditioning forcing goose bumps onto her bare arms.

She could hear a small chuckle from one of the rooms and she peered in.

Rose was sitting on the edge of the table, nudging Jack with her elbow and giggling.

Jackie leaned on the doorframe, glad to see Rose so happy again. It had been a while before she let go of the pain of the Doctor, but since Jack had arrived her face was often lit up and the melodious sound of her laughter was more frequent. It did her heart good and Jackie loved it, and him, all the more for it.

Still, they should have been in the middle of the party, not sitting it out.

"What are you doing in 'ere?" Jackie demanded. "The party is in the other room and I've had so many people asking where you are."

"Didn't feel like it," Rose shrugged.

"But you're the guest of honour," Jackie wheedled. "Savin' all them people from that bog monster."

"Boggard," Rose corrected absently. "An' it was just hungry."

"Still, saving the whole of the Upper East Side, that's something."

Rose just shook her head and handed Jack something else.

Jackie frowned. "What're you doing?"

Jack turned his full hamster cheeks to Jackie and pointed to something in Rose's hands.

"What's that?" she questioned.

"Banana," Rose answered with a roll of her eyes. "All this petit four stuff won't feed you up and bananas are a good source of potassium."

Jackie gaped. "What's it doing 'ere?"

"I brought it."

Jackie's jaw dropped even further. "What? The point of these fancy parties, Rose, is that you don't bring your own."

"Someone very wise one told me to always take a banana to a party, bananas are good. Great source of potassium." Rose smiled at Jack with a twinkle in her eyes. He returned the grin knowingly.

Rose poked him and gave a little giggle again. "Great for making friends, filling you up or supplanting weapons factories. Just think we could replace Torchwood with a banana grove. How cool would that be?"

Jack laughed out loud and Jackie sighed. "I really don't get you, Rose."

Rose just smiled at her mother. "I know, Mum. I'll be out in a minute. I've just never really been into the whole stick around and be worshipped end of things. It makes me uncomfortable."

"All right, love," Jackie agreed, knowing that one of voice and what it represented. She smiled, a crafty smile as she thought of that blond boy who'd been asking about Rose for the last hour. "I'll go tell that nice boy from accounting that you'll be a while, then, shall I?"

Rose just shrugged and pulled Jack closer to her. "We were just reminiscing about the Doctor, weren't we, sweetheart?"

Jack, mouth still full of potassium-enriched fruit, just nodded eagerly.

"Okay," Jackie turned to go. "But I warn you, Rose Tyler, if 'is first proper word is 'Doctor' we're having words!"

She shut the door behind her and Rose giggled down at the baby brother who worshipped her.

"Silly, mum. Okay, Jack. Say TAR-DIS."


End file.
